Despite big numbers of New Zealanders staying up late to watch the All White's historic soccer World Cup 1-1 draw against Slovakia, most fans seem to have made it to work on time today, employers say.
Nearly 600,000 watched the game on TV One and another 150,000 on Sky TV.
Nielsen television audience management account manager Amy Rider said this figure represented an increase of viewership of more than 400 percent on a normal Tuesday night.
Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) employment relations manager David Lowe said it had not received a single call from an employer with a grievance today.
The EMA usually received about 1000 calls a week, he said.
World Cups were nothing new to New Zealanders, he said, and employers and their employees had evidently become very good at accommodating such occasions into their schedules.
"Just the same as when the recession hit last year and people were saying 'oh my goodness what's everyone going to do?', ... employers and employees sat down and figured it out.
"Despite what other people might have you believe, they are able to sort these things out by themselves and they do and it's absolutely fine," he said.
The All Whites/Italy game at the later time of 2am (NZT) next Monday would probably yield similar results, Mr Lowe said.
"The only time you get into a problem is when people lie about why they're not at work but if you say 'I'm a soccer fan, do you mind if I come in an hour late so I can get a bit of extra sleep?'
"You talk to the boss about it, they sort it out and you come to an agreement and that's what happens."
